Counting down to performances at the Oxford Folk Festival

With over 70 artists and bands performing across 14 venues, the now entirely volunteer-run folk festival has come back stronger than ever, and runs from Friday to Sunday.

In January this year the news broke that the well-respected annual folk festival, Folk Weekend: Oxford, which itself had developed from an earlier Oxford Folk Festival, would be wound up, defeated by lack of funds.

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But four volunteers from the previous festival decided they could not let the matter rest.

There was no funding, but there was much good will and some basic ‘know-how’.

Having been volunteer helpers at the festival in previous years, Jane Bird, Jen Cox, Jack Evans and Ginnie Redston knew the background well, along with the locations and the musicians involved.

With no funds, the only way to spread the word was through word-of-mouth and social media. Facebook, Instagram and the web became the festival's friend.

Festival organiser Ms Redston said: "Despite being warned that there could be no payment and that there would certainly be no frills or perks we’ve been overwhelmed with offers by messages of support including folk musicians, activists and enthusiasts offering to volunteer and participate."

She added: "I've been moved and humbled by the support given to us by the muso-folkie community, and the way they have rallied to the cause to keep the music alive in this year's festival.

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"I'm also grateful for the way everyone involved has been so understanding about the limitations we have had to work under, given that we are a very small group which initially had no funding at all. We are looking forward to a lovely event!”

The new festival has a full programme with over 70 artists and bands including an impressive mix of respected professional and fine local artists, including Eliza Carthy; Owen Spafford and Louis Campbell; Ranagri; The Celtic Heartbeat; Matt Green and Andy Turner, Ian Giles and Three Pressed Men; Milady Clare’s Musicke; The Trials of Cato with Moonaroon; Katie Grace Harris; The Holy Fools; and many many more.

Jane Bird, OxFolk, Ceilidh co-ordinator, said: "The official name of our festival has changed, the spirit of it definitely hasn’t. We are delighted to share all the music and dancing with people again, this April. It’s the highlight of our year.”]

Jen Cox, OxFolk, dance development manager for the English Folk Dance and Song Society, said: "The community spirit and enthusiasm we've felt while organising this year's event have been palpable and really lovely and inspiring - it's going to be a wonderful weekend full of dance, music and happiness, and hopefully we can build it for many years to come!"

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Thanks to Jane Bird and Jen Cox, Ceilidh and dance coordinators for the festival, the streets of Oxford will be filled with music, dance and colour from the teams of dancers who will descend upon the city for the weekend, treating us all to wonderful displays of Morris and other dances.

This will also include an extensive programme of ceilidhs and dance workshops at St Barnabas Church in Jericho.

The Covered Market remains the hub for the local musicians on all three days, and in the Westgate Library there will be two children’s workshops organised through the County Music service, as well as additional local performances.

Venues taking part are: the Weston Room at The Bodleian Library, the Old Fire Station, The Covered Market, Jericho Tavern, Blackwells’ Norrington Room and Upper Meeting Room, The Tap Social, Friends Meeting House, St Barnabas Church, the Blue Room at St Aldate’s Tavern, St Michael in the Northgate, The Orchard Hall in Harwell, The North Wall, Common Ground, and the Westgate Public Library.

The majority of these performances will be free, and the Oxford Folk Festival team is delighted to encourage everyone to come and browse the huge variety of music and dance spanning the traditional as well as the brand new.

For more information visit https://linktr.ee/oxfordfolkfest 

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

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